Vehicle body construction



Oct.l3, 1931-. F. J. KUBLER f 1,827,395

' VEHICLE BODY CONSTRUCTION 'Filed oct. 17, 1929 4 IllIllIllllIlI/l ll In..

Patented Oct. 13, 1931 1l 'UNITED STATES- PATENr-i OFFICE FnEDEnIox J. xUBLnza, or New Yo'x, N. oF EAST BosToN, MASSACHUSETTS,

Y., ASSIGNOR TO A. S. CAMPBELL COMPANY, A. CORPORATION OF MASSACHUSETTS` .s f v'nnrcLE'BonY coNsTRUcTIoN I Application l-edk October 17, 1929. Serial No. 400,234.

This invention relates to the body construction of vehicles, and more particularly to the doors thereof and the hanging of the vsame.` The' object is lto provide an improved i construction havingl various advantages, .some of which will appear as the description proceeds, more particularly in a vehicle wherein the dimensions .of the cooperating pillars are relatively restricted and/or in limited thereto, my invention nds a'particular*application'to the forward corner of vehicles in which the` cowl pillar forms the body hinge pillar for the forward door and wherein .above the belt line it, together with the adjacent door hinge pillar and the windshield traine, if present, con-v stitutes an -assembly 'of restricted dimension' to facilitate -the. drivers vision, especially where this assembly is organized to present an obstruction less in width, than the distance between the eyes, as' described in the 'patent to Emond No. 1,622,098, dated March 22, 1927. In `a structure ofthis kind I provide for utilizing hinge membersof ample size in spite of the necessary small ldimensions of the .pillars and preferably hinge members which areconcealed. I In the embodiment of the invention shown by way of example the door is hung on a J body pillar comprising a supporting member 7 incorporated with the framework of the vehicle below thebelt andarising adjacent the cowl 9the exterior contour of the pillar inthe present instance" being completed" bya'detachably secured die casting 11. The

door hinge pillar or stilecooperating there- 50 with here shown as formed of Sheet metal well understood byV accompanying ldrawside the exterior face of the door.

and has a portion 13 of web section consisting y,

of substantially a vsingle thickness of the sheet metal disposed in the plane of the jamb of the door and cooperating with the opposed surface of the body pillar 7 to form a door 55 oint. This web member 13 is at the exterior flanged outwardly at 15 to provide an overlap iange about which is clinched the edge of the exterior sheet metal panel 17, aiportion of which in the upper half of the door forms a '60 2 molding 19 outlining the window opening which is' closed' by the glazing 21 sliding vertically'in the glass run 23 disposedagainst the inner face of the member 13 and passing at the belt (see Fig. 4) between the belt rail 65 25 and the garnish rail or r'e lator board 27 which are herein shown as o wooden construction.

The door shown is mounted to'swin on the pintles 29 about a hinge axis inwar exterionSurface thereof as defined. by the panel -17 and, 'in the upper body, overlapped and concealed by the flange 15 which opposes with a suitable clearance the rear exterior edge 31 of the body pillar?, 75 the rear face of which ifs recessed at 33 from ing movement of the door.

the door is hung ontwo this point to pass the. iange 15 in the open- As herein shown,

upper hinges alignedl respectivelywith the 80 g top rail 35 andbelt rail 25. A lower'hinge 37 may be utilized. yOn account of the turnunder of the vehicle the axis of the'pintles 29 7 willat the lower portion of the'door fall outf hinge shouldy beef a suitable type to permit the doxor to swing about thisaxis and I'have herein shown alhinge 37 of the'usual exposed type. My invention more'particularly relates to the construction lof hingin means in the upper 'portion of the body w ere the problem of organizing elements of desired strength within desired restricted dimensions is particularly acute.

For supporting the pintles. '29 from the 95 v body pillar I herein show hinge leaves 39 ofA the butt4 type which are. mortised into the rear'face of the pillar and, in this case, to f permit the placing of the 'pintles in the rear of the anges 15 and to permit the movefoemo of the v7 0 I portion of' the The lower 85K y.

ment of the door these leaves are provided'- with an oi'set 41 which provides for the mortising of the distal portion of the leaf forwardly from the transverse plane of the 5 hinge axis and provides the neck portion clearly shown in Fig. 2 into which iange 15 may pass in the swinging movement of the door. Cooperating knuckles 43 are shown as disposed immediately outward of the surface of the pillar 13 and they are herein carried by straps, 45in the case of the top hinge,

and 47 in the case of the middle hinge, which are anchored inwardly of the pillar, the knuckles projecting immediately in the rear of flange -15 through suitable slots in the pillar. These straps. desirably, as in the embodiment shown, extend longitudinally of the body and form a part of the rails of the door.

The belt lrail `and the top rail 35 are herein shown as separate from these straps andas of wooden construction and the straps may be of angular formation'and serve as brackets `or anchors for the rails. ferring to Figs. 2 and 3, the member 45 for the top rail is of trihedral form-embracing the exterior upper corner of the rail and is provided with the vertical flange 48 receiving the exterior face of the rail and the horizontal flange 49 overlying the top face of the rail, both these fianges being suitably secured thereto. TheH flanges are connected by the web 51 which may be welded or otherwise secured to the 'inner face of ,the door hinge pillar 13. The member l47 at the belt may comprise a horizontal flange 53 underlying the belt rail, a vertical flange 55 extending therefrom and secured to the outer face of the rail and web 57 connectingI them and welded to the inner face of the hinge pillar 13.

The construction as described affords a very secure hanging means for the door as the strains are extended through into Vthe framework thereof and not carried entirely by the hinge pillar 13 which, therefore, ma be made correspondingln light and thin to reduce the dimension o? the corner assembly. At the same time the thickness of the usual leaf is removed from the door joint, eliminating another factor requiring consideration in the design of an assembly of small dimension. v When the upper hinge is used y aligned-with the top rail asrshown, itis out of the way of the glass guide 23, and by extending member 47 cf the middle hinge longitudinally yofthe body, it may be securely incorporated in the fabric of the door, yet" he entlrely exterior to the plane of the slid- C in glass 21, thus permitting the glass guide to edlsposed directly against the inner face of the web-,like pillar 13, this construction again facilitating the production of an asb sembly of small dimension and permitting c the avallable space to be utilized efectively Thus, reb vextends through the door in Aproviding structural quate size and strength.

In the present description and the accompanying claims I have attempted to use\ the words interior and exterior with reference to the vehicle as a whole, and the Words inner and outer with .reference to the door as a structure in itself. Y

I am aware that the invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential attributes thereof, and I therefore desire the present embodiment to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive; reference being had to' the appended claims rather than to the foregoing description toindicate the scope'of the invention.

Claims:

1. In a vehicle a door case including a body hinge pillar, a door closing into said case having a door hin e pillar forming a ldoor joint with said body pillar, the door having an overlap fia-nge to cover said joint, the ody hinge pillar being recessed to pass' the flange in the swinging movement of the door, a hinge leaf secured to the body pillar having knuckles underlying said flange substantially inthe plane ofthe door joint, and a leaf having cooperating knuckles, said latter leaf extending longitudinally of the vehicle into the door structure inwardly of the exterior face thereof. l

2. In a vehicle members of adea door case including a body hinge pillar, a door framed with pillars and rails closing into said case and including a door hinge pillar forming ak door joint with said body pillar, the door having an overlap flange to cover the joint, the body pillar being recessed to pass the flange in the swinging movement of the door, a hinge leaf secured to the body pillar having knuckles underlying said flange substantially in the plane of the door joint, and a leaf havingcooperatingknuckles, said latter leaf extending length.-

wise of the vehicle through the door hinge Y pillar and secured to a rail.

3. In a vehicle of the closed type a door case including a body hinge pillar, a framed door closing into said case and including a door hinge pillar substantially of web section forming a door joint with said body pillar. a glass'run received at the interior face of said lsection and a belt rail exterior to the run, and means for hanging the door comprising,r hinge knuckles presented at the j amb face of the body pillar and an element having cooperating knuckles and a securing part which pillar and is anchored to said belt rail wholly exterior to said glass run.

4, In a vehicle of the closed type a dot. case including a body hinge pillar, said pillar eing cut away to pass in the swinging movement of the door the overlap flange hereinafter mentioned, a framed door closing into said case and including a door hinge pillar substantiallybfv web section forming a door joint with said body pillar, an overlap flange to extend over said door joint, a glass run received at'the interior a belt rail exterior to the run, hanging the door comprising Jface of said section and and means for hinge knuckles presented at the jamb face of I`the body pillar to underlie said flange substantially in the plane oflthe door joint andan element having cooperating knuckles and a securing part which extends through the doorl pillar 'and Ais anchored to said glass run. c

' 5. In a vehicle a hinge pi1lar,

having a door web section recessed to movement of the door,

to said belt rail wholly exterior j door case including a body a door closing into saidcase hinge pillar substantially f. forming a door joint with said the door having an overlap ila-nge body hinge pillar being flange in the swinging means for hanging the pass the door from the body pillar to turn about an axis interior of said flange at y per portion of the knuckles carried by least in the updoor comprising hinge 'the body pillar and presented interiorly of said flange and a strap secured at the inner and having face of the door Ipillar cooperating knuckles projecting outer side thereof. framed with pillars and hinge pillarsubstan' and having a slot, a

strap secured to a rail and having hinge knuckles proj ecting through the slot and presented at the outer face of the 7. A vehi pillar and a minal hinge knuckles l slot. l 8. A vehicle door framed with pillars and rails and including a hinge pillar substanv ?to said hinge pillar-'and hinge knuckles projecting through the slot.

'5' 9. A vehicle door framed with pillars tially of web section pillar.

door framed with pillars and hinge pillar substantial'- having a slot, an angulegs secured to hinge rail respectively and having ter-x projecting through the cle and having a slot, a trihedral anchor embracing a rail and secured h/avi'ng terminal l rails including a hinge pillar of substantially web section and having` an overlap lange, vsaid y web section having a s lot, hinge knuckles carried byra rail and projecting through the slot to lie outward of'sa1d pillar and interiorlyl of said rail substantially in the door joint. f In testimony whereof. I have signed my name to this specification. t l

FREDERICK J. KUB ER. f 

